Germany started slowly, letting everyone get a touch of the
ball.... then Christian Ziege pounced down the left to get an early cross in.

The first real chance for Germany flew over the bar, from the foot of
Michael Ballack on 10 minutes.

Two minutes later Oliver Kahn closed down a break from Salomon Olembe
and changed his angle to save the second attempt as well.

Rigobert Song needed some treatment after Miroslav Klose caught him in
the face on the 20th minute then returned to the pitch to block a shot from Klose a couple
of minutes later.

Jancker had left the ball for Klose then ran out into space on the
right.

After 20 minutes, the tide changed and Cameroon started to come
forward more. Pierrre Wome's free-kick was punched away by Kahn only to thunder off his
defender's chest for a corner.

And, with Germany's offside trap slow to react, Rigobert Song sprinted
through the defence to power his header into the advertising boards.

Then for the last five minutes the game started to get nasty.

Germany were reduced to ten men when Carsten Ramelow earned his second yellow card for
tripping Samuel Eto'o.

Ollie Kahn and Rigobert Song both entered the book for coming close to
blows, a couple of minutes later, then Bill Tchato was added to the list to bring the
first-half total to nine yellow cards and one red..... but sadly no goals.

Half-time: Cameroon 0 - Germany 0

Marco Bode came on for Carsten Jancker at half-time as Germany tried to rethink their
strategy.

0:1
The substitution paid off as Miroslav Klose held the ball up, with four Cameroon players
around him, then slipped the ball through two of them for Marco Bode to stroke home
without breaking his stride - 50 mins.

Ziege and Lauren - of Tottenham and Arsenal - tussled along the
sidelines as frustration entered into the game again. Lauren was lucky not to join
Christian Ziege in the book.

Lauren headed on to the German post, from the next free-kick; with
Oliver Kahn clearly beaten.

Patrick Suffo was only on the pitch for less than 25 minutes when his second yellow card
saw the game tip in Germany's favour.

0:2
Ballack has made a habit of crossing for Miroslav Klose to head in for Germany and this
crucial combination made sure of Germany's place in the Second
Round - 79 mins.

With 16 bookings and two sending-offs we were lucky that this game
still had two teams on the pitch at the final whistle.